MILLIONS of shoppers will flock to the high street for a “panic” present-buying weekend as shops slash prices in a pre-Christmas bargain rush.

Retailers are cutting hundreds of pounds off items across the board as last-minute shoppers head out for the busiest shopping days of the year.

Bargain hunters will cash in with two out of three retailers running sales or promotions, with prices slashed by up to 80 per cent. Debenhams cut some prices by up to 80 per cent, with Argos taking 60 per cent off and John Lewis slashing some prices by 50 per cent.

More than a million Scots – one in four of all adults – will head to the high street and shopping centres to snap up last minute gifts, splashing £190 each as tills are forecast to ring up a record £208million.

The Centre for Retail Research predicted a “frenzied atmosphere” and said today’s 1.1 million shopper total will be the highest ever, beating the previous record of one million on December 27 last year.

The retail analysts said the rush is due to workers starting holidays yesterday, a full weekend falling just before Christmas Day, and gift-buyers making up for shopper numbers down 2.6 per cent UK-wide year-on-year last week.

The British Retail Consortium forecast a record £378million weekend spend in Scotland.

Based on the BRC spending forecast, each of Scotland’s 1.1 million shoppers will spend an average of £190 today.

Retail analysts Ipsos, who count shoppers electronically at 5,500 stores across the UK, predicted a weekend shopper influx after Scotland’s footfall from Monday to Wednesday was up 11.4 per cent week-on-week.

The Braehead Centre, near Glasgow, will be open until midnight and is expected to have almost 100,000 shoppers today.

More than 82,000 will visit Silverburn shopping centre in Glasgow, and Aberdeen’s Union Square reported midweek footfall up 13 per cent and was preparing for 80,000 Saturday shoppers.

The BRC said electronics and toys are the best-selling items.

Silverburn Centre director, David Pierotti commented: “Although last weekend looked set to be our busiest, Silverburn’s late opening hours this week has provided an out of hours shopping destination for last minute buyers – especially men.

We expect a frenzied atmosphere with a record 13 million shoppers UK-wide on Saturday

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the Centre for Retail Research

“Some stores are open until 11pm which means shoppers have the chance to get in a whole day of shopping even after the working day.

“Footfall is expected to peak this Saturday with an estimated 200,000 over the weekend.”

Braehead general manager, Peter Beagley said: “We expect an army of shoppers descending for the busiest weekend of the year, with many people’s monthly salaries having just been paid.”

British Retail Consortium spokesman Mandy Murphy said: “This weekend is the big one with £4.5billion expected to be spent UK-wide.

“Sales got off to a slow start but footfall has improved week-on-week and things are really expected to peak on Saturday.”

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the Centre for Retail Research, said: “We expect a frenzied atmosphere with a record 13 million shoppers UK-wide on Saturday.

“This is due to a combination of people having delayed their Christmas spending, others who are loosening the purse strings after a year of financial worry and food shoppers stocking up at the last minute.”